NEW YORK - Samsung has unveiled its new flagship Galaxy Note7 phablet, which allows users to unlock the phone by scanning their eyes.

The South Korean electronics giant skipped one version of its phablet range, jumping directly from Note 5 to Note 7, to coincide with the numbering system for its Galaxy S7 and S7 edge series.

The new Note7 comes with an S Pen stylus that is twice as sensitive as the Note 5's S Pen, making scribbling closer to a pen and paper experience. Scribbling on the Note7 screen with the stylus is also possible when the phone is wet.

It is the first Galaxy Note to be dust and water resistant, like the S7. The Note7 can withstand water to a depth of 1.5 metres and up to 30minutes.

The high-end biometric security provided by iris scanning is new for Samsung, although forerunners such as Japan's Fujitsu and China-based Vivo have already launched phones equipped with an iris scanner.

Security is a also huge plus in the new Note7 as it features a Secure Folder for storing classified documents and apps, accessible only by fingerprint or iris scanning.

With a with 3,500mAh battery, the Note7 has a 17 per cent larger battery capacity over the Note 5, and it supports wireless charging.It now comes with a USB-C port instead of the ubiquitous micro-USB port. But it is powered by the same 5.7-inch quad-HD (2,560 x 1,440) Super Amoled screen of the Note 5.

Like the S7 and S7 edge, the Note7 sports a 12-megapixel rear camera and 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

The Note 7 has 64GB of internal storage, which can be expanded by up to an additional 256GB using the microSD card.

It will be available in Singapore from Aug 20 for $1,168. Pre-order of the Note7 - available in black, gold and silver - can be made with telcos and retailers on Wednesday (Aug 3) at 12pm. Collection of pre-ordered Note7 will be on Aug 19.